Montreal
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Montreal police on Wednesday raided an hassidic school that was apparently operating without an Education Ministry permit, in a joint operation in the Canadian city's borough Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie.

The school, located on Parc Avenue and Beaubien Street, was attended by around 60 students who left the building as Montreal police and youth protection officials raided the site, according to the Canadian CBC News.

Before the raid which saw a heavy police presence at the site, officers escorted around a dozen women from the school to their cars. Some were holding folders, but the news site said neither the police nor the women would confirm if they were teachers at the school.

Officials of the school said they had been working with youth protection officials to arrange a visit for them to assess the children, and argued the raid was not necessary for them to access the site.

Hershber Hirsch, a member of the school's board, said a visit by youth protection officials is set to occur "in the coming weeks."

"We are certainly not very happy with the trauma caused to the kids, which was not in any way necessary given our co-operation with the (youth services) up until now. We will surely continue to cooperate with them," he said.

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Education Ministry was cited by the report saying there is no school registered at the location, indicating the problematic nature of the unlicensed institution.